Hungerford railway station
Encyclopedia
Hungerford railway station is a railway station in the town of Hungerford
, Berkshire
, England
. First Great Western
trains serve the station.
opened the station in 1847 as a temporary terminus of the Berks and Hants Line
which started at Reading. In 1862 the Berks and Hants was extended to . It eventually reached Taunton
on 2 April 1906 to allow the running of express trains from through to the south west without taking the longer route through Bristol
.
in 1982 the station became part of Network South East. Services were provided by Thames Trains
from 1996 and then First Great Western when the franchises were merged.
Hungerford station is on the eastern side of the town. The Kennet and Avon Canal
runs to the north of the station, parallel with the line. Hence it is common for people walkers using the towpath to use the train to return home.
from London Paddington via to . It is also served by semi-fast First Great Western trains between London and using InterCity 125
trains.
The services are summarised as follows:
Hungerford
Hungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
trains serve the station.
History
The Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
opened the station in 1847 as a temporary terminus of the Berks and Hants Line
Reading to Taunton line
The Reading to Taunton line also known as the Berks and Hants is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line that diverges at Reading, running to Cogload Junction near Taunton, where it joins the Bristol to Exeter line....
which started at Reading. In 1862 the Berks and Hants was extended to . It eventually reached Taunton
Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, from London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by First Great Western...
on 2 April 1906 to allow the running of express trains from through to the south west without taking the longer route through Bristol
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
.
Service history
The station remained part of the Great Western Railway until the nationalisation of the railways in 1948. After the sectorisation of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1982 the station became part of Network South East. Services were provided by Thames Trains
Thames Trains
Thames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
from 1996 and then First Great Western when the franchises were merged.
Current layout
Hungerford station consists of two platforms either side of the mainline tracks. There is a level crossing at the western end of the station. East of the station there is a passing loop on the up line which is mainly used by freight trains but can also be used by passenger trains. The current timetable does not call for passenger trains to use the loop but it is common for special charter trains to do so.Hungerford station is on the eastern side of the town. The Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
runs to the north of the station, parallel with the line. Hence it is common for people walkers using the towpath to use the train to return home.
Services
The station is served by local services operated by First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
from London Paddington via to . It is also served by semi-fast First Great Western trains between London and using InterCity 125
InterCity 125
The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of , making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the...
trains.
The services are summarised as follows: